Phil McNeil, art director of OK! magazine, rejoined his former editor Martin Townsend this week at the Sunday Express, where he has been appointed deputy editor.
Townsend was made acting editor of the newspaper in May when executive editor Michael Pilgrim departed after penning an abrasive memo to his boss, Richard Desmond, which was leaked to The Observer.
Express Newspapers is still in negotiations with Pilgrim, who is on gardening leave, over a leaving settlement. Meanwhile, the company has reversed its decision to withdraw Pilgrim’s June pay cheque from his bank account and has repaid the money.
Pilgrim was to have gone to an employment tribunal this month to claim reduction of wages after the cheque was originally paid in on 15 June and withdrawn by his employers on the same day.
By Jean Morgan
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